The Devil Within
by BlackDiamon
Summary: Someone's keeping a close eye on the Inu gang. Rated for bad language... Please R&R.
1. Chap 1: Being Watched

**The Devil Within**

Disclamer: I own nothing

_ Summary:  
As usual, thing are up and down between the Inuyasha and Kagome. However, recent events will bring forth new changes in them. How will things turn out? And who is this new foe?_

_**Chapter 1: Being watched**_

'Ah!' thought Kagome. 'I can finally relax a little.' She was back in her time and so she took a walk around her world to ease her troubled mind. Going back and forth was very stressful and tiring. She had decided to take a stroll in the park near the shrine. She loved going there: it was peaceful, calm and it reminded her of the quiet times in the Sengoku Jidai. She had reached a small bridge when she chose to take a break. She walked so much whenever she traveled back that taking a break was always very welcomed. She stood, staring at the fishless with pure content on her face. Looking dazed, she thought 'I wonder what the others are doing right now…'

* * *

"I wonder what Kagome is doing right now…" 

"Keh… probably studying for one of her 'exams'…"

"… But she didn't mention anything about another exam!"

"Just shut up Shippo…"

Inuyasha was in a bad mood again. Every time Kagome left, they had to deal with a grumpy dog-demon. Not wanting a head-ache or having to beat-up the hanyo unconscious, Miroku took this opportunity to go back to his temple for the time being. Also taking his chances, he politely asked Sango to join him and to his pure delight, she had agreed without hesitation. Not wanting to offend the demon part of the group, he also asked both Inuyasha and Shippo to join them. He knew Inuyasha would refuse. However he was desperately hoping the kitsune would too! To his luck, the little fox demon said he didn't want to go anywhere without his adopted mother. So as quickly said as quickly done. Miroku ushered Sango and Kirara away from the group while keeping a firm grip on the taijia's waist: he didn't want her to change her mind out of fear for being alone with him for three wonderful days.

'Finally I can spend some quality time with my dear Sango without having to worry.' Soon, all three had disappeared from site and they were far away from the pending headache Inuyasha would have caused.

However, instead of Inuyasha causing everyone a major headache, the young kitsune was doing a mighty fine job all on his own.

"But why would she want three days to refresh her supplies! It doesn't make any sense to me!" Then he turned to Inuyasha with a furious yet questioning glare. "Did you do something again? Cuz if you did you better apologize!" Inuyasha was trying hard to ignore the wailing kid. "You must have done something! Cuz if you didn't… plus that you didn't even argue with her, so you must have don-" Something snapped…

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!" Before Shippo could get far, he was picked up by the tale. "I didn't do anything!!" and with that Inuyasha threw the young fox demon as far away as half-demonly possible. Shippo cried at the roughness and ran straight to Kaede's hut yelling for Kagome to come back soon.

* * *

The little pool of water agitated as a hand pulled out from the inside of a basin. He's watched the world go on through the dark side of the moon. He's been watching for the past month or so, waiting for an opportune moment. None had risen and so he waited and watched carefully from the shadows. Not wanting to alert anyone to his presence, he never watched for more than a few minutes. Then he would disappear only to come back again. 

Three days is what they said. He would have to wait for three days. He could do that. He'd been waiting for over four hundred years so three days was nothing. He was a patient creature, a very patient man. He could wait. But he had to be ready just in case. 'You never know just what might happen…' Touching the surface of his water-filled basin, he waited for an image to appear: the well. He would keep a close eye on that thing, and so he watched and waited, in the shadows.

* * *

Kagome shivered as the air around her suddenly went from comfortable warm to chilling cold. She hugged herself in a failed attempt to keep herself warm and finally decided to head back home. She couldn't shake off the feeling of being watched and frankly that freaked her out. She had thought on many occasion they were being watched back in the feudal era, but that was five hundred years in the past! That was normal, or as normal as it got. But she didn't like it when she was in her time, a place where she is supposed to be safe. 

'I guess evil-doers won't cease to exist all together…' she thought bitterly, slowly making her way back home.

'Maybe I should go back tomorrow… say something to Inuyasha.' None of them seemed to have noticed anything unusual, so she had brushed it off as paranoia. 'Besides, it would make a nice surprise and I don't have anything better to do here.' With her mind resolved on what to do, she hurried her pace and went straight home.

* * *

Since Shippo had left him alone, Inuyasha had settle himself in his tree and tried to take a nape. However, he couldn't shake off the feeling that someone or something has been following them throughout their journey. It's been close to a month since he first realized something was wrong with their surrounding. The smell, the air, the tension… Everything clicked 'warning' in his head. He had gone in search of this nagging source, but he always came back empty handed. After the second week, he tried to ignore it. But in the end, it didn't even matter how hard he tried. The dreadful feeling remained, irritating him every minute. He had elevated his alertness to his surrounding and the others hadn't noticed a thing. Miroku didn't mention any youki presence; Kagome couldn't sense any shards; and he couldn't find anything at all. Maybe he was simply getting paranoid… 

He tried once again to get some shut eye. For once he was happy Kagome wasn't around. He didn't argue with her when she wanted to leave: he was worried. How could he protect her when he can't figure out what was going on, let alone who was behind it all. Three days was good. If the feeling wouldn't disappear by then, he just might go stall her a little longer, or just long enough for this sensation to vanish. For now, he wanted to take a short break and ease his own mind.

* * *

Morning had come and a nice long bath had followed. 'I'm not due back for another two days, so I might as well take my time and relax.' Kagome took a deep breath and decided she was ready to face the past once again. So she got out, got changed and went to get her breakfast. Noticing the time, she thought better. 'How about brunch instead.' 

After eating, she thought about when exactly she should show up. 'How about I show up with some freshly cooked food… Yes! That's what I'll do!' It was rare they had any good meals and one can only eat so many of the same food over and over again.

'At least Sango-chan, Miroku-sama and Shippo-chan will be pleased to eat some of my cooking…' she thought as she remembered how Inuyasha preferred those damn noodles over anything. 'Oh well.' With those final thoughts, she set about the kitchen preparing a whole bunch of food.

A couple of hours later she was done. Everything smelled so good and all she had to do was pack them up all nice and neat for the trip. Kagome was proud of her creations! 'Another meal ready to go, another few days ready to be spent.' By the time she was done packing all of it and carefully stuffing them into her yellow bag (along with everything else…), it was practically evening. She quickly made her way out of the house, first making sure Sota would behave while mama was out. Half way to the well-house, someone was calling.

"Kagome dear!" It was her mother. She must have just gotten back from her shopping. Turning around, Kagome waved at her mom. "Kagome, could you help me bring these in before you leave?"

"Sure mama!" At her mother's request, Kagome put down her bag by the God tree and went to her mother's aide. 'It wouldn't hurt to help,' she thought. 'I'm so rarely home to help her do anything, so I might as well do this.'

* * *

Inuyasha was still laying in his tree just staring at the fields watching over the town they'd go for shelter. He would never admit it, but he enjoyed being there. The villagers seemed to have grown fond of him and him of them. He knew he'd never be fully accepted by anyone because he was a half-breed. But at least they gave the impression of respecting him. 

'Either that or they're just too scared to disrespect.' Inuyasha let his mind wonder about and so he did not notice the little demon approach him from behind.

Slowly, it climbed up his back using the haori and stopped once it reached the inu-youkai's shoulder. In one swift move, it jumped up to the cheek and stuck its mouth into flesh. Inuyasha felt something pinch his cheek and out of reflex…

SMACK

The flea demon slowly flew down into his master's lap, squished thin. Inuyasha watched it make its descent and so he put out his hand to catch the blood sucking youkai.

"What do you want Myoga?" He knew whenever the flea showed up it was to give him some kind of information, be it good or not.

"Can't this loyal servant of yours visit his lordship?" Myoga sounded crushed at the unwanted tone accompanying Inuyasha's words. Being a little skeptical at the flea's question, he came up with the most logical and truthful answer.

"You never come for visits." Myoga crossed his arms, looked away and pouted back.

"That's not true!" Turning back to face his master once again, he continued. "Anyway, I simply wanted to have a taste of that delicious blood of yours!"

"Hey! My blood is my blood! Not yours for leisure drinking!!"

"Yes, yes my lord. It's just been a long time since we last ran into each other… I was in the neighbor hood and since tonight is the first night of the new lunar month…"

"Lunar month!?!" He had forgotten that was tonight! He was always uneasy on that one night, so how could he forget! He normally didn't sleep. More over, he had a hard time staying awake. 'Great…' he thought. Just perfect indeed… With only a kit barely one tenth of his height who knows what would happen.

'At least Kagome is back in her time…' That thought gave the hanyo an idea, but he wasn't sure about the consequences. 'Since when do I care about that?!'

"My lord? What is it?" Making his presence know, Myoga stared at his master who seemed to be lost in his mind. Inuyasha looked down at the flea in his hand and got another idea.

"Myoga, I've got a job for you…"

'Hmm… I better not underestimate this hanyo… He may be a lot smarter than he seems…' With his left hand, the creature of the moon disturbed the surface of the water before him. 'Maybe it would be best for me to leave tonight and tomorrow well alone.' He took one last glance at the rippled surface before him. The basin showed him many things, but not all. The flea demon had come into the region and yet he hadn't noticed.

His gaze still on the basic, he chanted out a few words. The color of the water changed in a swirl of colors. Once he was done, everything went quiet. He turned around and walked away from his only connection to the world.

* * *

_____A/N:  
End of first chapter. I hope you enjoy. I'll update with chap 2 as soon as I can. After that, it will depend on how many reviews I get. I'm new at this so please be kind. Flames are accepted too._

_____Thanks the reviews, I've brought some changes to the first chapter… again! Lol! But the more reviews the merrier! ( -- is that even a word??)_


	2. Chap 2: Surprise Guest

The Devil Within

Disclamer: I own nothing

_Previously…_

_Kagome's home to relax a little. Being watched or simply getting that feeling is very discomforting. Inuyasha is bored but happy she's away: he knows something is out there, but brushes it off as paranoia. Miroku takes his chances and takes Sango with him to his temple for some much needed rest. Meanwhile, Inuyasha tries to take a nap to clear his own mind. Myoga stops by to say hi and ends up with a mission. Inuyasha has a plan to verify his paranoia._

_In the shadows beyond sight and sound, someone watches their every move…_

_Chapter 2: Surprise Guest_

'Why me?' Myoga was not happy with his new task, but he also felt the need to comply. He didn't like the feeling that washed over him when he reached Inuyasha's forest. That is why he didn't argue against his lord's demand to look for anything suspicious lurking around. 'Besides', he thought with glee, 'this is my chance to prove that I am _not_ a coward!'

Before setting about searching, he had gone to the village to warn Shippo and lady Kaede of what is going on for tonight. The kit hadn't enjoyed what he heard. In fact, it frightened him to know something might be out there, watching them and Inuyasha couldn't find it. He did approve of the hanyo's _disappearing_ act. Even he understood it was best for Inuyasha to stay hidden away when he turns human, especially if there was a new enemy creeping around. Shippo took this time to comment on Inuyasha's use of whatever amount of brain he was given. Myoga had a good laugh with that. However, he didn't waste any more time chatting the evening away. 'I told them I'd be back by night fall, so I better hurry!'

* * *

Bringing the groceries in and placing them at their rightful places took a bit longer than she had expected. Kagome wouldn't have been shocked if her mother had emptied the store! Evening had come and if she didn't hurry she would miss dinner with the others. 

"Bye mama!" She slid the door close and made a bee line for her favorite tree. She had left her bag there so she could pick it up on her way to the well. When she got to her destination, she couldn't find her yellow bag anywhere. 'Huh?!?' She was positive she left it by that tree. "Where did it go?"

"Where did what go?"

Kagome jumped at the sudden noise from behind and gave out a small screech. "Aaagh!!" Inuyasha flattened his ears out of habit at out burst. Stunned to see him in her time, she asked, "Inuyasha? What are you doing here?" Kagome swiftly looked around hoping she didn't attract any un-wanted attention. Still glancing around, spying for any late visitors, she continued. "I told you I'd be back in three days." Inuyasha held out the big and might I add extremely heavy yellow bag in front of her eye sight, effectively blocking her view from everything else.

"Then what is this?" he asked rather angry. Kagome tried to look calm, but failed miserably as she stuttered an answer.

"T-this! … It's, it's j-just … uh … I … uh … I was just … uh … going over to a, a, a … A friend's house!" Coming to a conclusion with what she said, she repeated her scrabbled sentence with more confidence. "I'm simply going over to a friend's house for a sleep-over party."

He didn't buy it. Inuyasha knew her long enough to know when she was lying. Normally he'd smell it on her, but this time it was just plain obvious.

"I ain't buying it." he stated flatly. He stood there and stared her down, thinking she might eventually crack and tell him the truth. However, Kagome also knew his well enough to know what he was doing and so she decided she wouldn't give. What she didn't understand in all this was why she felt the need to lie to him. She let go a sigh, rolled her eyes and grabbed his arm. She dragged him part way back to her place when…

"Kagome-chan?" She froze in her tracks hoping she was just hearing voices. "Kagome-chan!" Nope, she hadn't imagined it. There was more than one person calling her and she knew exactly who they belonged to. 'Great! Now how am I suppose to explain dog ears to them?' She didn't have time to plan a cover story when out of nowhere her three girl friends showed up in front of her. Surprised by their sudden appearance, Kagome stumbled backwards and right into Inuyasha's arms. She felt him steady her and then mentally kicked herself for not telling him to hide in the first place.

"Inuyasha-kun! … Is that you?"

"You look… different!"

"Yeah… You have …" Kagome rushed into the conversation not knowing what to say and completely ignorant of surrounding.

"I can explain!" However she didn't get far after her friend finished what she started to say.

"… black hair!" Kagome simply blinked and she realized that _she_ was the one confused. She turned around to see Inuyasha give a strange boy-is grin.

"Uh… hi?"

'He's human! Was tonight the new moon?' Looking up at the sky, she noticed for the first time it was black save for a few stars sticking out. But now moon could be seen. Kagome looked back at Inuyasha who was staring right back at her. After a few seconds, his gaze switched to the girls standing behind her, waiting, expecting something.

"Well?" one of them pushed. "Why is it black?"

"Yeah!" another had joined in and looked at Inuyasha. "I like them when they were white."

Kagome didn't wait for anymore comments and gave them the best answer she had! "He wanted to see what they would look like if they were black!" Gathering her thought and silently hoping Inuyasha would keep his mouth shut, she continued with her plausible excuse. "But don't worry! We used one of those colors gels. You know… the one that fades after a few wash."

Inuyasha's face was one of pure confusion, and to his luck, none of the girls noticed. Kagome's friends on the other hand seemed to fully understand as they released an 'oh!' of comprehension. Inuyasha took a mental note to ask her what exactly this 'gel' thingy was. Kagome took this chance to usher the girls away and wished them a good night and safe trip home. They all waved their good byes to one another and Kagome was left alone with Inuyasha once again. She went straight up to him, took his hand this time and guided him the rest of the way to the front door.

They walked in silence, Inuyasha not knowing what to say and Kagome lost in her own thoughts. When they reached the front door, she absentmindedly slid it open and walked right in. Finally letting go of his hand, she slid the door close and replaced her shoes with her slippers. He just stood there feeling awkward. Why, he didn't know. Once the change of footwear was done, she took his hand again and led him inside the house.

'What's with the hand holding?' thought a more over confused Inuyasha. At the same time, 'What's with the silent treatment?' thought a baffled Kagome. Finally reaching her unknown destination, she guided Inuyasha to the first sitting furniture she found. He kept staring at her, wondering what was going on. She never acted like that before. Was this the calm before the storm?

"What are you doing here?" Her question was simple and her tone was calm yet confused. For some odd reason, he had expected an outburst. He wasn't about to complain thought: for once they just might have a civilized conversation without yelling.

"Keh! I can tell where I'm not wanted!" On the other hand, maybe not… His tone came out a lot harsher than he had intended it. Inuyasha automatically tensed up, waiting for the onslaught. But to his surprise nothing came. Kagome had a look of sympathy on her face. "What are you looking at me like that for?!?" He didn't like it when she looked at him like that. It freaked him out to say the least, and it made her look sad. Kagome snapped out of her trance and looked away, a blush making its way up her cheeks. She had an idea why he came over to her time, but she wouldn't confront him with that now. She knows how he is during these times, so right about now wouldn't be smart to bring that particular subject up!

Somehow, Inuyasha knew what she was thinking and boy was he relieved she didn't mention anything. He hated being weak and he hated it even more when the group would talk about it.

Both of them came out of their own reverie when they heard someone run down the stairs. Following the first set of feet was another accompanied by the Sota's voice. "You can't get away!" The first set came to a halt, but for other reasons so did the second. Sota crashed right into his friend's back sending both them plummeting to the ground. Unfortunately for his friend, Sota had his fall cushioned.

"Get off me!" came the wailed cry of his friend. Complying, Sota quickly stood up and held out his hand to help his friend. 'Yukito' as he was called bowed his head low in an apologetic manner. "We are sorry, we didn't mean to barge in. Sota told me we were alone." The boy threw his friend a dirty look with a promise of payback for lying. Getting the hint, Sota hastily jumped to his defense.

"I didn't lie! Mama went to the shop and onee-chan was supposed to have left. Isn't that right?" Sota turned to his sister, hoping she would back him up. But what he failed to notice before caught him off guard now. "Inuyasha-onii-san?!?!" Sota stood there staring at the once hanyo. "Wha… What happen to your hair?" he asked in bewilderment, completely forgetting about his friend. "… and you ea-mmppff!!" Kagome realized where Sota was going with this and jumped into action. She put her hand in front of his mouth, successfully blocking out his final words.

"Yes, well, he can't bring his dog over every time he visits!" Realizing a second to late what she just said, she could have imagined a huge anime style sweat drop come down both her's and Inuyasha's head. Before digging herself further down with her own lies, she chose to change tactics. "Why don't you and Yukito go back to your room to play nice and quietly, and I won't tell mama you two where playing tag in the house." Understanding played across Sota's feature and slowly, yet eventually ushered his friend up the stairs and directly into the safety of his room.

In the meanwhile, Inuyasha stood looking even more confused if that was even possible. He didn't get her explanation about the dog thing, but then again, he didn't understand a whole lot about her way of thinking. There were a lot of things she did that for the life of him he would never get. 'Same could be told about her…' he thought to himself. Nobody, not even the taiji-ya knew much about inu youkai traditions. Hell! Even HE didn't know all of them. Most of the things he did were based upon instincts, but as for the rest… Myoga took the time to explain a few details to him. Never-the-less, there was still a few things the flea demon deemed him to young to know. That had been the most insulting comment his retainer ever told him. He remembered how he practically killed the flea-bag for treating him like some sort of a pup.

His little reminiscences caused his face to burn up in anger. Seeing this, Kagome wondered if her pitiful excuse insulted his friend to that degree. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offense you or anything like that… I just sounded like a good pretext at the moment."

Snapping out of his thoughts, he remembered he was still standing in Kagome's living room. "Keh…" He didn't know what else to say. He wasn't a man of many words and he wasn't about to tell her he didn't understand. "Never mind." With a wave of his hand he was hoping to end the topic of conversation. He plopped down onto the couch, taking it easy. 'Now what?' Back in his time, they would have had some inane discussion with the others and then they would sleep the night away while he stayed awake, fearing for his and his friends lives.

Kagome stared at him for a little while longer before giving in to her own fatigue. She moved towards the same couch and wondered, 'What's on his mind?' Once she reached his side, she dropped down accurately beside him. The shift in the cochins caused both unsuspecting friends to unwillingly slide closer to each other. They were so close that Kagome's left side and Inuyasha's right side were sticking together. With both their weights centered in one section of the sitting object, the cochins gave way some more, causing both of them to sink in even closer.

Kagome tried to get up to give them both some much needed space, but found herself stuck to the couch. Inuyasha was not helping either by simply sitting there. She was growing red with embarrassment and didn't dare to look at him. Instead she got another idea. 'It has to work!' She reached out one hand and got a hold on the side of the couch. The other she placed on Inuyasha's knee. She was wishful beyond everything that he wouldn't move. Knowing him, he might reprimand her for her stupidity, but she really didn't care. 'Just as long as I can get up, he can yell all he wants.' Hauling herself up, she was almost at freedom's reach. Precisely before successfully attaining a state where she could let go of his knee, he nudged that infernal leg to his right, promptly knocking her off balance.

Kagome gasped at the change in balance and found she was plummeting down towards the couch again. Instead of landing on the annoying sofa, she ended up right onto Inuyasha's lap. With his legs now apart, she found herself slowly sinking in between. The plunging sensation stopped as two strong arms kept her from going any further down. This time she looked up at the owner. Inuyasha simply had a smug smirk on his face, amused by the interaction and all at her cost.

"What?" he dared to ask. "Would you rather I let you drop?" With those words, he loosened his grip on her which caused her to sink even further down. Out of reflex, Kagome groped at his clothes in hopes of stopping her fall. Inuyasha found the entire play hilarious and chuckled. He tightened his own grip on her and pulled her close to himself as he closed the gap between his legs.

After he settled her in his lap once again, she stared at his with shock at his playfulness. 'What is going on?' She tried to formulate her words, but nothing came out of her mouth.

"Seems like you mouth is not connected to your brain." he commented. He brought his right hand up to her face to close gapping lips. He understood why she was this shocked. He never showed his playful side to anyone. He never would have done this to Kikyo, but with Kagome it was different. He allowed himself a few moments of freedom.

They sat there in that position for what seemed like hours to Kagome. She kept starring at him like he'd grown a second head and Inuyasha continued to have a smug look on his face. Once again, their _daydreaming_ was cut short by the sound of footsteps. Mrs. Higurashi walked into the house via the back doorway and stood still once her eyes caught a peculiar scene: Kagome sitting in a black-haired Inuyasha's lap.

"Hello Inuyasha, Kagome. What a lovely surprise." she said looking at Kagome, then back at Inuyasha. She thought over her next words. "I'll leave you two alone now." With that, she walked into the kitchen to finish cleaning up.

'Huh?!?!' Kagome looked at Inuyasha mystified by her mother's reaction. That's when she remembered about the compromising position they were in. During their short movement, Kagome's skirt had gone higher, exposing a bit too much flesh. If Inuyasha was a pervert, all he had to do was bend a little to his right and he'd have a clear view of her panties! Both of them furiously blushed and looked away. Eventually, Inuyasha dumped her not so elegantly beside himself and stood up, walking away. Kagome also got up, but she grabbed her bag and disappeared into the kitchen as well.

* * *

Inuyasha paced the living room. It took everything he had to not peak into the kitchen where mother and daughter talked and giggled away. He knew they were talking about him, especially after his little sneezing fit. 

'They're probably talking about how unfit I am…' he thought.

'_What's to be unfit about?_'

'Huh?!?!?'

'_I said wha-_'

'I heard what you said!' He was getting irritated. 'Who the hell are you?'

'_I'm you._'

Inuyasha stood there, looking dumbfounded. He shook his head in an attempt to clear his mind of all thoughts. 'Okay… now that was weird.' Talking to himself, or better yet, hearing voices in his head wasn't something he considered sane.

He resumed pacing the living room for a few more minutes. Eventually he couldn't take it anymore. He came to an abrupt stop and fixed his eyes on the kitchen's entrance. 'I could come up with an excuse like I'm hungry or something.' He took a moment to think things through. He figured he needed a good reason to just walk in there. Settling for the 'I'm hungry' plan, he hesitantly made his way towards the dammed entrance.

* * *

When Kagome went in to the kitchen, her original plan was to put away whatever needed to be stored and couldn't stay in her bag for one night. She had made her way towards the fridge, dropping her bag on one of the dinning table's chairs. All the food she had cooked was now cold. She picked them all out and placed them in the fridge for tomorrow. They'd just have to warm it up over an open fire if the others were intent on having a warm meal. 

"I thought you were going to the feudal era." Ms. Higurashi broke through her daughter's thought with an innocent question. And an innocent question deserved an equally innocent answer.

"Since it's a new moon tonight, we thought it best to stay here tonight." Kagome was hoping for a comfy silence while she put away the food. But that wouldn't be the case.

Kagome's mother had other things in mind.

'Chatter time!' she thought while giggling like a teenager. "You should bring him here more often when he's fully human." If her mother's giggling wasn't enough, that last statement definitely caught Kagome off guard.

"What?!!!"

"Inuyasha," she stretched. "You should bring him here when he's in his human form."

Kagome had heard what Ms. H. said, but she had to make sure it wasn't her imagination. "Uh… yeah. Sure thing mom. If he agrees."

"Something tells me he won't refuse." Once again she was giggling. "Anyway, it's about time I saw him this way." Mama had pointed out the obvious, which wasn't so obvious to others.

"Oh! That's right!" Being caught in Inuyasha's lap made her momentarily forget about his physical state, which is quite ironic. "Well now you can put a picture to the description I've given you." Following this comment, both mother and daughter giggled. They laughed and talked about everything and nothing. It was rare enough they talked now a day. It felt good to have a chatter time with her mother and Kagome felt much more light-hearted.

"Well," Ms. H. spoke up again. "Are you going to ask our guest if he'd like something or are you just going to let him stay in the living room?"

Kagome snapped to, picked up her now almost empty bag and headed for the door. Sliding it open took her a great deal less effort than it normally would have and before she realizes it, she ran into something soft. She would have stumbled backwards and landed on her rear end, but a pair of hands rested on her back. Thus preventing her would be subsequent fall. Kagome let out a small squeal at the sudden force than kept her firmly put. She looked up to see what exactly she ran into. A set of surprised dark eyes met her startled browns.

In the mean time, Kagome's mother had a front row seat to the show starting her only daughter and a hanyo-turned-ningen. 'My oh my,' she thought. 'This will be interesting…' Her giggling started again and both youths spontaneously jumped apart.

"Uh…" Neither seemed to know what to say. 'What is wrong with me?' Kagome tried to fight over her sudden shyness and desire to run and hide. She looked back at Inuyasha. "Would… would you like something?"

Inuyasha also snapped out of his stupor, but words seemed hard to formulate. "Y-yeah!" Had he squeaked? He tried to answer again, this time clearing his throat first. "Some water"

Kagome went instantly to get a glass, filled it up and handed it to Inuyasha. "Here you go. Well, I'll be in my room if you need me." And with that, she grabbed her bag once more and headed straight for the stairs.

* * *

'That was weird.' Inuyasha just stared at the glass in his hand. That was why he came into the kitchen, wasn't it? 'Not exactly, but…' Remembering Kagome's mother was still there, he started drinking. Even thought he wasn't really thirsty, it felt good. His throat had gone dry in those few short seconds of interaction. Meanwhile, Ms. H. just kept staring at him with a sweet smile. Inuyasha had stared down monsters ten times his size, and yet this innocent looking human scared the wits out of him with her pure looking smile. He started to fidget in place, not knowing what to do. Ms. H. moved towards him and took the now empty glass. 

"Would you like a second?" Inuyasha nodded before he had enough time to make up his mind. She filled the glass and handed it back to him. Trying to calm the nervous man, Ms. H. spoke up.

"You look very different in your human form." she said. "It suits you nice." Nevertheless, it felt strange to see him without his fangs and nails. His cute dog ears were replaced by ordinary human ears and that too felt strange. She held back her urge to touch, to feel and make sure her imagination hadn't run wild again. Suddenly her sweet, happy smile turned sad. There was something very different about the human side of the hanyo. He had lost something, but she couldn't figure out what.

Inuyasha picked up on her change of mood and thought it best to make an escape before she assaulted him with questions. He handed the glass back to her, said thanks and made his way for the stairs.

* * *

Her door was open, so he allowed himself to have a peek. "Not there." Inuyasha looked again, walking fully into the room. 'Where did she go?' He thought of places she could have hidden, but after quick looks he came back to his original spot empty handed. 

"Are you looking for something?" A voice from behind startled him out of his contemplation. Kagome was standing in the bathroom's doorway which was located diagonally from her bedroom door.

"Euh…" Right there and then, Inuyasha was positive a most beautiful tenyo was standing before him.

The so-called maiden was wearing one of her rare sleeping attire: a night gown to be more precise. Kagome's hair was combed perfect and hung loosely over her left shoulder in a tress. Her face looked flawless in the dimly lit hallway and the light from the bathroom over shadowed her curves, giving her a mysterious seductive air. Two spaghetti straps held her dress in place and the low cut of her outfit showed much cleavage to any willing eyes. The black gown supported a few red roses of all size, strategically spotted to easily attract viewers' eyes. The silky material hung loosely on her, but captured her every curves. The long dress went all the way down to her ankles and supported a cut on the right side that ended half-way up her thigh. Kagome was leaning on her left, giving her audience a nice view of her long slender leg. Inuyasha was at a lost for words.

His eyes freely roamed over her body, taking in every slight detail. She had her arms crossed in front of her, making her breast look even bigger than they were. Inuyasha just kept staring and gulping at the sight. Slowly, yet eventually their eyes made contact and Inuyasha noticed her blush. She averted her eyes and stood upright, staring at the grown with lots of interest. Inuyasha also averted his gaze and literally turned around to hide his own heated cheeks.

"S-sorry… I-I didn't mean to s-stare."

"No, no… It's my fault. I didn't have time to do my laundry yet…" Kagome made her way past him and into her bedroom. She felt she had to explain. "… and I didn't feel like taking my spare PJ out of my bag…" She kept on mumbling while clearing her room, putting some thing away and getting ready for bed. "… Besides, I've barely used this one, so I might as well before I grow out of it…"

Inuyasha kept his head slightly bowed, scrutinizing the floor and trying hard to keep his gaze off the wondering girl. Oblivious to what kind of reaction she had brought upon the hanyo, Kagome went on.

"… and it's so comfy you wouldn't believe! Oh, and before I forget, mama said you can come over during new moons if you'd like…" This caught his attention and this time he openly watched her, following her every move. "We have a spare room, but it's filled with so much junk… She said she'd have it cleared up by next month…"

After finishing her little self-appointed chores and putting out the spare futon for her friend, she went to her mirror and started fumbling with her hair. "… Anyway, it's getting late, I've put out the futon if you'll sleep here…" She went to her bedside lamp, turned it on and headed for Inuyasha still standing by the door. "… Otherwise you can always use the couch or ji-chan's room. He's out of town, so no worry there…" She reached for the light switch, turned it off. "… So what's it gonna be?" She looked straight on, expected annoyance at her non-stop talk. But what she saw she couldn't recognize.

Inuyasha couldn't understand what was going on either. Unconsciously he took a steady step closer. Their faces were practically inches away. Every breath she took he felt and with every second that flew by his heart quickened. His mind filled with thoughts of what he could be doing right about now instead of standing there like an idiot. Those same notions, as good as they seemed, as tempting as they were, brought him back to reality. He took a shaky step back, putting space between them and turned to face the awaiting futon. He muttered a thank you and went to unfold the thing. He'd seen her do it a few times and he had used it once before. So he didn't have any trouble managing it on his own. He set the sheets at their places and snuggled deep under the covers. He made sure his back was to her, not really wanting to see her reaction at his sudden emotional change.

Kagome was indeed rather shocked. She had frozen in place the moment his eyes had glazed over and he was giving off an unfamiliar aura. 'What just happen?' She was profoundly confused. Her body refused to comply with any orders. Her legs felt numb and weak; she was positive her knees would give way any minute now. Thank her lucky star for Sota ran by, waving and yelling his good nights. That had fetched feelings back into her limbs and she found herself heading towards her bed, yelling back a good night to whom ever that was listening. As she reached her comfy zone, she sunk into her bed, hugging her soft cover all around her.

'I'll deal with this tomorrow.' She reached over the side to turn off her side lamp and cleared her mind from all possible thoughts in hopes for a dreamless slumber.

* * *

A/N.: 

Thank you for reading this far. Constructive criticism is highly wanted! It won't hurt to leave a review, good or bad. I'll continue this story depending on the reviews. So be good to me… I _am_ a beginner!

Happy New Year to all!  



	3. Chap 3: The Plan Part 1

The Devil Within

Disclamer: I own nothing :(

_Previously…_

_As Inuyasha demanded, Myoga has gone in search of the something that has been nagging both himself and his master. Our hanyo friend joined his shard detector in her time. A moonless night gives Inuyasha time to be playful while letting his human emotions temporarily take over. And boy was it a loooonng night…_

_In the meanwhile, the shadowed figure removes his presence from sight, smell and sense. He hides for now, but what will happen when he comes back?_

_Now on to chapter 3… Inuyasha puts his plan to keep Kagome in her time to work!_

_Chapter 3: The Plan (Part 1)_

Morning had come. The sun was shining. The birds were chirping. The smell of breakfast filled the air. Mmm… Breakfast… The sweet scent of delicious pancakes, eggs and toast filled the air and Kagome could take it no more. She had skipped over both lunch and supper the day before. So you can guess just about how hungry she was. With her eyes still closed, she sat up in her bed like a puppet being pulled by its strings. She momentarily opened her eyes only to close them again as she took in a big gust of air. She let herself fall back down in her bed and a hungry little moan escaped her lips.

'Mmm… Food…' she moaned again. But this time it sounded more like a growl of dissatisfaction. She hauled herself out of bed, oblivious to the lump of red and white sitting in the corner of her room. Grabbing a set of fresh underwear, she walked right out of her room, absent mindedly closing the door behind her and walked straight into the bathroom.

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Inuyasha could hear the running water from his position on the floor. He was near the door and his good hearing clearly told him where she was and what she might be doing. Not realizing he was holding his breath, he found himself panting because of lack of air.

_Moments before…_

He had woken up the minute he turned hanyo, his senses blaring about in all directions, taking in everything around him. Her scent was what woke him up though. It was all over the place and some times it was so intense, it was intoxicating. Next, his ears twitched to the back as he heard her soft and even breathing. He turned around and what greeted his excellent eye sight was her bare back. The so-called pj hung very low down her backside. It was a wonder to him how that piece of fabric still clung to her body. Her blanket was partially pulled down, revealing all of her rear.

Inuyasha simply lay there, on his borrowed futon and stared at her, or at as much as he could see. Her locks were in tangles on her pillow and it would move with the slightest movement of her head. From time to time he would hear her giggle and sigh. He sighed as well. When she was asleep, he would take this window of opportunity and purely look at her. When he thought no one was looking, he would jump down his tree and settle down as close to her as possible. It was during those periods that he would think about her, trying to figure out just how important she really is to him. Sometimes he would ask himself if this girl from the future meant more to him than Kikyo. A voice would pop out from nowhere and yell back at him 'Of course, you Baka!' But that same voice would disappear after he'd have some kind of run-in with the dead miko.

His trail of thought was cut short by a moan. A most sweet and delicious sounding moan. His eyes had never left Kagome's prone body laying so comfortably on her bed. Slowly, she made a 180° turn, going from one side to the other.

"Mmm…"

Inuyasha had figured a while ago that she was dreaming, but of what he couldn't say. He desperately tried to keep his eyes set on her face. However, he soon found his own will power weakening. So he sat up, completely averting his eyes from her.

If the lecherous monk was here right now he would have come up with some misplaced comment and filled their heads with images and ideas none of them should be thinking about.

Inuyasha shook his head willing the thoughts out of his head. What he heard next didn't exactly help…

"Mmm… In… (mumble) … sha… (giggles) … Mmm… Fast..teeerrr… (giggle)…"

With the air now caught in his throat, Inuyasha coughed as though his lungs wanted out! And now! He willed it to stop, hoping that his little fit didn't wake any of the family members, specifically the one laying not so far away. To his content, he was rewared with silence. He sighed in relief and then got up, setting about cleaning up his make-shift bed. Five minutes later, he was done clearing and had settled himself in his usual corner.

It had taken a little over half an hour before Ms. H. got up and started making breakfast. Ten minutes later, the brat and the old geezer had woken up. And fifteen minutes after them, it was sleeping beauties turn. Still sitting in his corner, he saw her sit straight up in her bed. He sat still as emotionless as a statue. He swallowed real hard and found himself once again hoping for all he's worth that she wouldn't notice him. He couldn't keep his eyes off her exposed skin. That 'dress' hid only the important parts and left everything else out in the open, leaving very little to one's imagination. Mind you, it's not like he hadn't seen her naked before. But somehow he felt more perverted looking at her in this state then when he accidentally walks in on her bathing in some lake or hot spring.

His yellow orbs had never left her as she got out of bed, went to her dresser and walked out of her room.

_Present time…_

And this is where we meet up with our hanyo friend who's desperately trying to bring his breathing back to normal.

'I gotta get outta here!' he thought without hesitation. Quickly he jumped to his feet and ran out of her room. In his hast to leave the scene of the crime, he forgot to close the door… something he would soon come to regret…

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Kagome had been in the bath for a good half hour before her stomach's growls seriously got on her nerves. That was the reason why she got up in the first place. With yet another growl or dissatisfaction, she finished cleaning herself. Once dried and properly covered, she peered out into the hallway to make sure no one would spy on her. The coast was clear and so she made her way to her room. Considering her bedroom was located conveniently close to the bathroom, she could afford to make a quick dash from one room to the other without the inconvenience of someone seeing her. It also meant she didn't have to drag clothes with her ever time she took a shower or bath.

She smoothly slipped into the privacy of her bedroom and closed the door. A quick decision of outwear clothes later, Kagome emerged from her bedroom wearing her regular school uniform. A towel adorned her head, wrapped strategically around her hair to keep the wet mass off her shoulder and up in the air.

'I'll just dry them after I eat. I'm starving right now!'

With that in mind, she made her way downstairs. She reached the last step and started walking her way around the living room. The bounce in her step slowly disappeared as she wondered if she forgot something. When she reached destination Kitchen, all wonderment fled her mind.

A red clad figure with lots of silky looking silver-ish/white hair stood with his butt sticking out and his head shoved in to what she remembered being the fridge. The sight of Inuyasha's rear end slightly moving from left to right and back again as a result of foot shifting was very funny. She tried covering up her laughter by fully covering her mouth with both hands. However, her efforts were fruitless as the words 'Kodak Moment' kept popping into her head.

Inuyasha's ears swiveled at the slightest sign of badly suppressed giggles. Jumping ten feet in the air and away from the kitchen appliance, he landed near the farthest wall of the room. The sudden movement caused Kagome to take a startled step back. Both of the room's occupants looked at each other while the fridge door slowly slid to a close with a 'pluck' of a noise. Two heads turned to look at the object that produced an offending sound in the curt silence. The two living beings turned their heads once again to stare at each other. Moments later Kagome burst out laughing, not being able to hold it in any longer.

I guess Inuyasha looking like a mixture of a deer caught in the headlights and the face of a child caught with his hands in the cookie jar was simply too much for her to keep a straight face.

That had been the third time she caught him with his head in the fridge. Mama had made it clear one day that he is not to go anywhere near the appliances, specifically the fridge and freezer. Something about dirty hands and pigging out played a part in the restriction. He thought himself lucky for he hadn't been caught by Ms. H. herself… yet…

Momentarily forgetting about any earlier predicament, his face picked up a few shades of red as embarrassment and anger flitted across his face.

"You can stop any time soon ya know."

Kagome was crouched down on the floor, clutching her stomach as though in severe pain. Tears ran down her cheeks, her eyes shut tight in hopes of stopping the flow of salty liquid.

Inuyasha merely stood there, his arms crossed over his chest and hands hidden in the sleeves of his kariginu. Once in a while, he wondered if maybe she was actually crying or in some kind of pain. But she didn't smell hurt and the small sporadic burst of giggles escaping her lips proved his wrong in judgment. As minutes passed and Kagome showed no signs of mercy, a tick appeared in Inuyasha's right eyebrow. He closed his eyes, trying to calm his nerves. However, his patience, not great as it was, was running out fast. With a final growl for warning and a hump of displeasure, he turned on his heals and stormed out of the kitchen.

The sight only intensified the humor as Kagome lost whatever balance she had and quite literally rolled on the floor laughing her ass off!

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To his displeasure, the night had passed uneventful. He was given more time to think, to plan and prepare. Not that he really needed it.

Times had changed and so had the fashion. To some degree, he thought the humans were improving. But it didn't matter much to him. The humans, the demons and anything else that grew along side them didn't affect him in any way. His kin were different and that brought a surge of pride over him. His people, the ones who counted on him, they needed him to do the right thing. And after such a long time, he will finally do what's right.

'Nothing can stop me now. Especially not now! Now that I've found what I've been searching for.'

A sadistic laughter slowly filled the empty room he occupied and the sound bounced off the walls, making the should-be-joyful sound much more malicious than it ought to be.

If one should listen carefully, though, laughter wasn't the only noise present. Small wails of sadness escaped the objects that filled the huge room. None of this distressed the lone occupant. He kept laughing, seemingly oblivious to the cries surrounding him.

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"Come on Inuyasha!"

Said hanyo merely turned his head away.

"Oh please!" Kagome released a depressed sigh while rolling her eyes. "Stop acting so childish and say something! …_ Anything_!"

"Keh…" was his answer.

Kagome let out an inhumain growl as her patience had just run out. It has been over 10 minutes she's been trying to convince Inuyasha to forget about the fridge incident and come eat. But he'd just sat in the living room and hadn't budged and inch.

"Fine," she yelled out. "You wanna stay here? Them that's fine with me. You wanna spend your time here? You've got it!" She was really mad. If her voice wasn't warning enough, her looks could have killed.

Getting no reply fro him, her frustration flared ten fold. However, replacing her yells was her soft innocent voice. "Inuyasha…" Still no answer… "OSUWARI!"

**THUD**

"You can just _SIT_ here while I go _SIT_ with my family. And don't bother to come _SIT_ with us." Her angry voice was back and before she disappeared out of the living room, she just had to add one last say. "You're not welcomed to _SIT_ with us." With a final 'hmpf', she marched out of sight.

The moment she was gone, Inuyasha promptly pushed himself off the floor he had personally met and come to know in details. 'At least this time it was cushioned.' In fact, he was positive the effects of the beads were less severe in her house than anywhere else and the effect would wear off much faster too.

Inuyasha sighed and settled himself back on the couch. This little incident gave him an opportune moment to think about back home. Had Myoga found something? Was it safe to go back? Miroku and Sango would be coming back today. It _was_ the third day since Kagome had left and she was suppose to go back to his time by the end of afternoon like she promised Shippo. But he wasn't sure the coast was clear. So how can he convince Kagome to stay without it sounding weird?

The living room's peaceful and serene silence was suddenly broken; Inuyasha smacked his fisted hand into the palm of his other hand.

"Ah-ha!" He yelled out in triumph. 'I know exactly what to do.' With that plan all figured out, he settled himself more comfortably on the couch. Good thing he had decided to eat his breakfast before everyone else.

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Breakfast had been short and Kagome wasn't in the mood to be good little girl. She had finished her meal in record time and so she set about clearing the table.

"Ah… Kagome?"

She had just snatched her grand-father's practically full plate from right under his nose. Brown eyes filled with fury stared at the old man. "What?"

"N-nothing!" He knew better than to question the female side of the family when they were bothered by something. Without another word, Kagome continued clearing the table. That done, she set about washing the dishes.

She couldn't believe how easy it was for Inuyasha to press her buttons the wrong way and royally make her go nuts. Just then something clicked. Her bedroom door was open. She always closes her door. Even Sota knows to close her door if ever he _snuck_ in and out. Her jii-chan didn't have any reasons to ever go into her room. As for her mother… She would have closed the door hands down. After all, she got her keep-the-door-closed thing from her mother.

_What Goes On In The Room, Stays In The Room Unless Said Room's Owner Wishes To Share_.

That had been a family saying she was thought at a very young age by both her mother and father. So that definitely counted her mother out. The only ones left were Buyo and Inuyasha. Obviously her fat cat didn't have a fat chance of doing such a thing, which left the half-demon as the culprite.

'Hmm… Now that I think about it, I didn't even notice him this morning.'

Kagome replayed the scene over and over again in her head. Where was he when she had woken up? She didn't run into any obstacles when she got up so he had definitely cleaned up after himself to her surprise. When she thought about it more, she realized she hadn't noticed the corner he usually slept in when he came over. Just then, an image of herself in her 'PJ' appeared to her. What she did remember clearly is what she looked like after having spent a night in that thing. Her face had turned crimson in color as anger shifted to embarrassment and back again.

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"**_INUYASHA_!**"

Inuyasha cringed as the high pitched voice reached his delicate hearing. Some how, he knew he was in trouble, but he didn't remember what he did. He sank himself deeper and deeper in to the couch, wanting the comfy thing to swallow him whole. With each step that took his aggressor closer to him, the more his sheer fright would immobilize him.

He, Inuyasha, the second son of the great tai-youkai that prowled the western lands; he who could face and kill over a hundred demon in one sweep of his sword; he who faced death into the eye without trepidation or regret; he who had faced so much downfall only to rise again, better and stronger than before… How was it that the same person could be so terribly frightened by a human? And a female no less! That was one riddle Inuyasha believed he'd never be able to solve.

The terror of his life now stood by the door. Inuyasha didn't need imagination to see the dark flows of energy… no, of _youki_ escape from around her. How was that possible, he didn't know and honestly didn't really care at the moment. It's the duration of his life that worried him more.

Kagome didn't feel the need to explain anything. She didn't even want to think about it, particularly when she had an image of him looking at her with a lecherous grin. Don't get her wrong! She's had many dreams of just the two of them. She's seen that grin more than enough time and she'd been more than happy to let him look. But those were dreams. Anything and everything can go in dreams. Besides, she'd never given Inuyasha the permission to look. So how dare he!

As though reading her mind, Inuyasha just had to blurt something out. "I didn't do anything!"

That only served to tip the frosting on the cake…

"OSUWARI"

"Ahh!"

"You Pervert!"

"It ain't my fault if you're the one showing it off!"

"Kyaaaaa!" Kagome covered her upper body as though naked and cried out even louder than before. "**OSUWARIIIII**" She stormed up the stairs and slammed her door shut. With all ears strained on her movements, he heard the door's lock click in place.

After a few minutes, he pushed himself off the floor once again and eased back onto the couch. He should have know he had that one coming. At least that gave him an excuse to keep her here longer, some how. He had to tell her he was going back, otherwise she would think he left without her and she'd quickly follow to sit him some more. If she played little miss stubborn, then he'd pull the Shippo gig. She was bound to follow through if it meant Shippo's happiness.

His plan set, he headed for the back door. He made his way around the house and jumped to her bedroom window.

She was sitting behind her desk, pencil in one hand and one side of a book in the other, the object being held up at an angle. He figured she must be studying yet again. Sometimes he wondered if she preferred to be locked up in some room with nothing but books to keep her company.

He shook his head, gathering his strength to face her, and quietly opened the window. If she heard anything, she chose to ignore it as she continued to read and write. He sat in the window sill and wondered what she might do and how he should start up a conversation.

"Oi… Kagome!" At least that was a start. However, she still ignored him and he didn't like to be ignored, especially not by her. "Oi! Bitch! I'm talking to you."

That definitely got a reaction out of her. "Oh." She slowly turned in her seat, setting down her book before so, to face him. "So now I'm a bitch too!"

A growl of irritation came from the peeved hanyo. He didn't mean to offend her, but he _is_ part dog and she _is_ a female that, according to him, needed to be tamed. "That's not what I meant." He shouted back at her.

Realization dawned on her that he was refereeing to the original definition of the word and not the offensive meaning it is now-a-days. She didn't know whether to remain insulted at the innuendo or not.

Getting nothing but stares, Inuyasha kehed and turned around in his spot. "I'm going back and don't even think about following."

"Huh?"

"You heard me. Stay here till I come to get you."

"What!"

"I don't feel like dealing with you and your attitude problem until Miroku and Sango come back." And with that he jumped down from the window and made his way to the well house.

Sitting on the edge of the well, he sighed. This time he had to apologize when he came to get her. He also took a mental note to ask Shippo to prepare something special for Kagome. He didn't have much more time to think for himself as a girls soft voice reached the hidden ears of the beads around his neck. He was too distracted to actually hear anything, but the glow and the sudden heavy weight pulling him down told him all he needed to know.

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Kagome took a minute to gather her thoughts. She heard Inuyasha's faint cry as she imagined the rosary beads glowing bright, pulling him down to the ground. She wasn't sure whether he was still there when she yelled out the subduing word. However, his yelp of surprise gave her a sense of satisfaction. It was quickly replaced by sadness, though, as she wondered if he meant what he said. Frustration rose up all over again and she thought, 'Who cares? That stupid jerk thinks he owns me or something… as if!'

Once again she set about reading her book and marking down notes. But nothing made sense. Not even her history book and she was good in that particular subject. She sighed and decided to fully dry her hair while she still has some patience left in her…

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**SMACK**

"HOUSHI-SAMA!"

The infamous shriek and resounding noise of his friends was the first thing that greeted Inuyasha. He thanked every possible deity he could think of for landing so softly following the effect of the beads. He did however find himself face down at the bottom of the well.

"Inuyasha's back! I can smell him! I can smell him!"

Surely enough that proved the gang had been waiting for their return. He pushed himself off the ground and leapt straight out of the empty spring.

'First things first.' He blocked out all other noises and concentrated on the strange presence he had felt before leaving. He hoped whatever it was would have given up and left during his absence and wouldn't come back.

"Inuyasha?"

Miroku was completely ignored as the hanyo walked a few paces towards the tree line. "Where's Myoga?" he asked, swiveling in his spot to look at his friends.

"I'm right here, my lord." From on top of Kirara, the little flea jumped onto Inuyasha's noze. Seeing as how he was quiet and waiting, Myoga reported what he had found during his evening treak.

"It's more like what I didn't find… There was nothing out of place, no new presence and as for that strange aura… It has disappeared since our departure and I haven't felt it as of yet."

Sango was confused. "Inuyasha, is there something wrong?" Although he never did really greet them the proper way, asking about a strange aura isn't the first thing to come out of his big mouth either.

"Hmm…" He thought for a few minutes, thinking it might not be a good idea to have them worry over what might be nothing. But a certain kit beat him to speech.

"For the past few weeks something has been following us!"

"I see." Miroku sounded thoughtful. "That explains why you kept running off on your own, as well as your sour mood."

"I ain't got no sour mood!" he grumbled back. Facing Shippo, he continued. "I need you to do something special for Kagome. Make it look like you've been at it for a few days."

"Why? Did you get into another fight again?"

"I did not! I just didn't tell her about this and telling her you _begged_ me to keep her there longer was my best option. I need to make sure it's safe first."

"That makes sense." Sango spoke. "Wow Inuyasha. You're becoming a more sensible man than I thought." She giggled as she saw him turn a lovely shade of pink. "Come on Shippo. Houshi-sama and I can help you."

"Good idea Sango! I can't wait! What will we make?"

The men watched Sango and shippo walk towards the village, the baby youkai obviously excited at making something special for Kagome. Kirara had perched herself on Sango's shoulder and would meow at the ideas she liked.

Once out of ear shot, Miroku turned to his hanyo friend. "Inuyasha, keep Kagome-sama in her time for as long as you can. I will send Myoga and Kirara to scout about the area one last time."

From out of nowhere, the little flea jumped onto the monk's shoulder and settled down. "I will not fail you Inuyasha-sama. If we find anything unusual we shall take care of it before your arrival."

Inuyasha took in a big breath to calm his nerves and thanked the two before turning towards the well. He looked over his shoulder once and saw the Buddhist priest trekking back towards Kaede's village.

Neither Miroku nor Sango felt that presence. That much he figured out by their ignorance of the whole thing. As for Myoga… He said he felt an aura of some kind. So they might not be talking about the same issue. Not knowing what else to do, he sat on the edge of the well and looked down. If Miroku hadn't sensed anything, then chances where she didn't either… right?

'Right! I'll just go over, get on her nerves, probably get sat a few dozen times, then bring her back for a good night's rest.'

With such perfect planning Inuyasha jumped into the bone-eater's well.

o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o

**Jap vocab:  
****Kariginu**: A wide-sleeved samurai hunting jacket. I read in a story (Fallen Souls by Cassandra) that this is the right turm to use for Inuyasha's top. I woudln't know since I'm not Japanese. If there is a problem with the definition of this word, please do inform me. Like I said, I am not Japanese and only know as much as I read or hear.

**A.N.**:  
I'd like to thank all my reviewers. It really means a lot to know someone is reading my _workd_ (if I can allow myself to call it that…)

Anyway, really sorry for the delay. No excuse is excuse enough. I will have the next one up soon, though! It's all written down, I just need to type it up. Keep an eye out for part 2 of _The Plan  
_


	4. Chap 4: The Plan Part 2

The Devil Within

Disclamer: I own nothing :(

_Previously…_

_Inuyasha had moment to think, but soon finds himself in a precarious situation with a sleeping Kagome. Thinking he can get away with it by running off, he gets the wrath of a certain enraged young miko by letting one minor detail get away from him._

_Back home, Myoga hadn't found anything out of ordinary. Miroku and Sango had come back and with their help, Shippo set about making something special for his surrogate mother._

_If the monk and the taijiya hadn't felt anything during those times he had, does that mean he was actually hallucinating? Was paranoia getting to him? Or was it something else? Now Inuyasha has got to keep Kagome busy until late afternoon at the earliest. What will he do? And what of the stranger of the moon…?_

_Stay tuned to find out in the next chapter!_

o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o

_Chapter 4: The Plan (Part 2)_

A lone figure crept out of the bushes and quietly approached the waterless well. Cautiously peering over the edge, what greeted him wasn't an angry dog, but something more like dirt and small remains of old, shattered bones.

'Where did he go?' He had seen the demon jump in, but never come out. So where was he? Taking one last look around, he leapt down. He landed gracefully and stood to his full length. "There must be a passage of some sort…" He walked up to a wall and examined it carefully.

"Hnh. Nothing strange or magical about this place. He took turns fully inspecting each wall in hopes of finding something.

He had checked all four and he hadn't found a single thing. He did notice that the well wouldn't live up to its purpose; the walls were made of dirt and wooden poles. It's empty of any drop of water. What good is a well if it didn't even have water?

'I guess I'll just have to wait until he comes back.'

He took out a small crystal orb and peered into its depts.

"My lord, the well is of no use. I sense no magic from it and have found nothing unusual."

From within the round object, a face could be seen. "Very well."

"I shall wait for their return before I make any move."

"Wait. Befriend them first. The girl will come more willingly this way. We'll have to remain patient. As your mother would say it, patience is a virtue."

The boy closed his eyes, picturing his mother's face as he had last seen her. She was a beautiful creature that met the end of her life far too soon.

"Yes father. I shall do as you wish." With these final words, he placed the crystal sphere back into its pouch and hit it beneath his layers of clothing. Then he started heading towards the village. That's where he'll start. Humans were so much easier to convince than demons.

o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o

Kagome had finished drying her hair and was enjoying her bit of free time. Having so little time to herself, she had stopped reading books for the pure pleasure of it. So she looked through her miniature library, searching for something interesting to read. And she found it. There, sitting amongst her books was her old journal. It might not have been a story book or novel, but she hadn't used it in such a long time that she'd forgotten what it looked like.

The last time she had ever written in her book was about seven years ago. Searching through the last pages for her last entry, she was shocked at what she found.

"Oh my god!" It was the date of the accident, the day her father had died. She closed her eyes and sent a silent prayer for him.

Curiositypicked at her with this new found object though. She concentrated hard on trying to decode her early squiblings until the characters were easier to read. Small tidbits of information made sense, but everything else was too vague to understand or too funky to read orjust didn't make sense. Eventually she stopped reading andsimply skimmed through the pages.

"Hnh?" Something big, something colorful, something other than squibles caught her eye. She turned back several pages until she reached theone with a drawing. It was weird, but rather well done and accurate for someone so young. She couldn't help but stare. She had never met Inuyasha till she stumbled upon the well. So how was it possible for a drawing of him and his sword be in her journal? The date was marked for over nine years ago.

She read the entry before, but found nothing of relevance. She turned the page and found herself staring at the drawing once more. Averting her eyes to the writing on the next page, she started reading.

_Dear J._

_I had a funny dream last night. I was tall and pretty and I look like a lady. Just like mama. That was fun. I hope I look like that when I grow up. I hope I meet the boy from my dream too. He is funny and he save me from a big bad man. His big katana made the bad person disappear._

_Do you want to know what he look like? I draw you a picture. I hope you like it. I think he was cute. What do you think? He has dog ears and teeth. But he has sharp nails. I really hope he does not hurt me with his nails._

_I can't wait for tonight. Maybe I see him again. I wish I do. That is all. Mama is calling me and I have to go to school._

_Ja ne._

She couldn't believe it. How could she forget something like this? Her curiosity had reached its peak and she found herself searching out other entries. She read one entry after another, skipping over those that didn't mention 'dream' or Inuyasha anywhere.

By the third entry, she figured out he was a half-demon and by the seventh, she read something about being someone but not. She'd have a dream every week and would talk about it in her diary.

But if she had dreamed so often of him, then why couldn't she remember…

'The accident,' she thought. It made sense. She got a heavy blow to the head giving her a concussion and she didn't remember much of what happened. She still doesn't. The doctors said she probably had short term memory loss, but she was only a kid. How was she supposed to know what that meant or what the effects were.

"Kagome!" Her mother was calling her. "Come down. Lunch is ready."

"Ok! I'm coming."

She grabbed her journal and left her room. She had to show this little discovery to her mother.

o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o

"No, no, no! NO!"

Coming down the stairs, Kagome heard her little brother call out in defeat.

"How could you beat me? I've been playing this for ages and you've just learned. How?"

"Keh. Serves you right for bragging about how good you are to a beginner."

She had to roll her eyes at that comment. Inuyasha was the god of all gods when it came to bragging about his winnings.

"Does that mean you'll lose one day since you brag so much about being strong and never loosing?"

Kagome stopped mid-step. What would he answer to that?

A moment of silence passed and she found herself unable to breath. Did he seriously think he might lose one day? He was so strong and hasn't lost his battles… So why would he think this way now?

"Keh."

She couldn't see his face, but somehow she was positive a look of determination was there.

"As if I'd lose… I'd die before I lose a battle."

Now that was the Inuyasha she knew: stubborn as ever, hot-headed and over-confident. His answer gave her a bit of relief and so she continued on her way.

"But Inuyasha-onii-chan. I don't want you to die or go away for ever. If you're losing you have to stop fighting and take cover!"

"Don't worry kid. I'm much more resilient that any human."

"But if something bad was to happen, not only will I miss you a lot, but Kagome-onee-chan will be miserable."

She had reached the bottom of the stairs and now stood motionless. Why was Sota saying such things?

"And she'll cry a lot and be very sad. I don't like it when she's sad and miserable. She's not like her usual self and her fake smiles can really be scary!"

Ms. H. pocked her head into the living room. "Sota, Inuyasha. Hurry up. The food will get cold." Mama had put a stop to the little boy's rambling, but the after-shock was very much present. Looking her way, Ms. H. continued. "Kagome, there you are. Can you help me in the kitchen?"

She numbly nodded, not hearing her mother's question. By now, Sota had run off to wash up and her mother had given her a sweet smile before turning back to the kitchen. Eventually, Kagome looked at Inuyasha. He was also looking her way, but neither said a word. Not wanting to answer any questions he might come up with she silently made her way past him and right into the kitchen, her diary long forgotten.

o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o

Silence was the answer and to a 'yes or no' question, silence usually meant 'yes'.

He didn't really ask any questions. Therefore she didn't really answer any either. But if she over heard the conversation, why hadn't she protest? Or denied what the kid had so bluntly said?

He knew she cared for him. That much was obvious seeing as how she wouldn't leave his side no matter what. In that case it would be normal for her to be sad. If that be the case, then why had her silence stir something up in the pit of his stomach?

He didn't have much time to think it over, though. A little boy's voice rang through the house and into his sensitive ears, calling after him to hurry up before everything was eaten. He stored that trail of thought deep into his mind. For now he wanted nothing more than to spend some time with family.

Yes, family.

It's been a long while now that he refers to Kagome's family as his. He hadn't told anyone, but he did admit it to himself. He likes the idea of having a home he can go to and know that some mother-like figure cares for him.

No, Ms. H. would never replace his real mother, but she had told him _If ever you need to talk to anyone about anything, know that I'm here. I'll listen and try to help as much as I can._ That meant a great deal to him and it's since that moment he'd been referring to this strange group of people, of humans, as his family.

A ghost of a smile spread across his facial features, but was quickly replaced by the 'I'm a though guy' look. He wiped his hands on his hakama and went to the dining area.

o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o

Mid-day had come and gone, and the late afternoon sun made the weather perfect for a walk in the park. Sota just had to tag along, claiming he wanted to go to the park and Inuyasha wasn't about to stay home with Ms. H. and the old man. He was wearing his usual baseball cap, andyet still managed to stick out like a sore thump. Quite literally too. His red outfit, white hair and blue cap attracted everyone's attention. Kagome was hoping not to run into anyone familiar.

"What's this?" Inuyasha was standing by a water fountain and stared at it like it was some kind of weird creature. Sota jumped on the opportunity to help his hero out, more than willing to explain.

"It's a water fountain." He received a blank look from the hanyo and so he elaborated. "You press and hold this thing and fresh water come out of there." To compliment his words, Sota pushed on the knob and just as said water spurt out of the little hole he waspointing to. He leaned over it and started drinking some to show how it was done. Once finished slurping, he stepped aside and motioned for Inuyasha to give it a try.

With lots of determination, the inu-hanyo stepped forward, positioning himself like Sota had moments before. He leaned in and pushed the button.

"Yikes!"

With a huge leap backwards, Inuyasha backed away some more and wiped his face with his sleeve. Once satisfied his face was dry, he narrowed his eyes at the girl he called friend. Kagome was laughing once again at him and his embarrassing moment. Sota on the other hand looked concerned and came rushing up to him.

"Are you ok?" He sounded apologetic. "Gomen nasai. I should have warned you the water pressure depends on how hard you push."

Inuyasha simply growled low and walked past the laughing girl. He stood before the fountain again, daring another try. This time he went about it more delicately and was successfully able to take a few sips. Sota's face broke into a full fledge smile as he cheered for his idol. Even Kagome was clapping her hands, a happy smile gracing her visage.

"Come on," she said. "Let's go before people start asking questions."

When they got home, supper was almost done cooking. Kagome was asked to make some salad and Sota dragged Inuyasha back to the living room for a revenge match. Eventually, diner was eaten. The dishes were cleaned, the food had been put away and the two friends had retreated to Kagome's room.

"Whether you like it or not Inuyasha, I'm going back to the feudal era by tonight." She was determined to get this through his head. "Actually, I'm going to leave the moment I'm done packing."

'It's too soon!' Inuyasha thought. It wasn't even late evening yet. Thinking frantically, an idea spurred to mind. He opened the window and the moment Kagome let go of her bag, he pounced on it. "We'll see about that!" He clutched the bag in his arms and jumped out of the window.

It took a few seconds for Kagome to realize what just happened. "Osuwari!"

He was in mid-flight towards the Goshinboku when he was pulled down to the grassy area surrounding the tree. Kagome rushed down the stairway and out the door. When she got to the tree, Inuyasha was sitting cross legged near his imprints. But there was not yellow bag.

"Where's my bag?"

Inuyasha merely rubbed his chin in response.

"Inuyasha!" She said through clenched teeth. "You're asking for it."

"Keh! Go on and say it! It's not like I'll tell you anything."

Kagome let out a strong enough growl that surprised the half-demon. She tried to calm herself down, but gave up all hopes of it. She looked up to the skyready to beg the heavensfor a solution. She didn't exactly get a solution, but she did get an answer to her earlier question.

Her right eyebrow twitched. She took a deep breath and said the next best thing she could think of. "Osuwari."

Although it didn't help bring her bag down from its place high up in the tree, the subduing command did give her some sort of satisfaction. Seeing as how Inuyasha was the only one who could climb up or jump into the sacred tree without harming himself, she grabbed his ear and pulled hard enough to get his attention off the dirt on his face and have him look at her instead.

"Inuyasha, get my bag down this instant!"

Her scent had dramatically changed and not in a good sense. He knew it would only make it worst, but he kehed anyway. He caught her wrist in an effort to push her away. With that done, he quickly leapt off into another tree, one of the few located near the well house.

Kagome threw her hands up in the old fashion 'I give up' style. She decided she'd simply get another bag. She had another one of those yellow backpacks somewhere. She just had to find it first.

o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o

An hour had passed since she started looking for her spare bag. 'Where is that damn thing?' Her search and thoughts were interrupted by a knock on her door. When she opened it, her mother stood right on the other side of her bedroom door.

"Hojo-san is here. Are you going to come down or do I tell him you're busy?"

"No mama. It's ok. I might as well use a break. Could you tell him I'll be there in a minute?"

"Sure."

Kagome quickly cleaned up whatever mess she did during her search. She fixed her hair and went down to greet her friend.

"Hello, Higurashi-san. I hope I'm not bothering you."

Putting up a smile for good measures, she greeted him, telling him it's not a problem. "I was just rummaging around for my spare bag."

"Why? What happened to the other one?"

"Oh, a friend of mine was over and thought it would be funny to stick it in a tree and leave me to my devices."

"I see." Hojo thought it over and without hesitation added. "If you need help bringing it down, I'd love to be of service!"

"Well…" 'It would be easier if I just got my bag back… And he's willing to help…' Kagome took a moment to think. "If you can reach it, I would really appreciate it."

A wide smile appeared on the boy's face, happy she had accepted his offer to help. "Great! Show me where it is."

Kagome promptly led him to the Goshinboku and pointed up. Hojo's eyes fallowed the imaginary line up to the yellow bag. It was tucked in firmly between a big branch and the tree's think trunk.

"Wow." He looked stunned, but also seemed to be calculating something. The boy might be extremely dense, however, he is incredibly smart. "Your friend sure knew what he was doing. I don't think you have anything long enough to reach it." Then he thought some more, inclining his head from left to right. "And even if you did, I doubt poking it would make it fall."

Kagome was loosing all faith and was loosing it fast. "Just great. So how do we get it down?"

Hojo looked at her with questioning eyes. "How did he get it up there?"

That was one good question, but she couldn't tell him 'Oh, he must have jumped it'. It just wouldn't make sense no matter how she looked at it. Even the best basket ball player wouldn't be able to jump that high. She couldn't tell him Inuyasha was a demon either. Demons and hanyos don't exist in their time.

"Ah…" What was she supposed to say? "I don't know."

"Oh. Well, do you have a ladder I could use?"

"Of course!" Why hadn't she thought about it before, she didn't know. Once again, she led the way and they soon found the object of their desire.

They hauled the heavy thing all the way back to the sacred tree and set it up as high as it went. Still the bag ended being a few branches to high. Hojo told Kagome not to worry, saying he would climb the rest up till he reached it.

"Please be careful."

Hojo brushed her worries away with a wave of his hand. "Don't worry. I used to climb trees all the time in elementary." And so he started scaling the ladder. "My mother used to call me the 'House Monkey'. She probably meant it as an insult, but I took it as a compliment." He smiled once more for Kagome and continued his mount.

o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o

Up in another tree, well concealed by the excess leafs and branches, a hanyo spied upon the two humans by the Goshinboku. It was the first time he actually saw the guy, but not the first time he's smelt that scent. So now he could finally put a face to the stench. Thought it didn't help ease his mind. Since his arrival, he's kept an eye on him and now the guy was probably trying to prove himself worthy of her time by getting her bag.

Inuyasha kehed when the human commented on his smarts. Of course he was smart. Just because he acted mostly on instincts didn't make him some brainless idiot. Sure, he has done some stupid things in the past, including this little stunt with Kagome's bag. However, he's got his reasons. He was anything but stupid. Ignorant: probably yes. But an idiot he was absolutely not!

The 'kid' had reached the top of the ladder and was now attempting to climb the rest up. He claimed to be good and now was the time to prove his word. Although the many branches and leafs hid his self and his view, his keen eye and sharp hearing told him where the human was. Sure enough, that Hobo kid reached his destination, unhooked the bag and started making his way back down. He realized that at such a height, one missed footing would send the kid to his death. That was the human's problem, not his. But he knew Kagome would never forgive him if something tragic was to happen.

Lucky for him and the teen, Hojo made it back down without too much difficulty. Inuyasha wasn't sure if he was happy or not. Kagome got her bag back which meant he couldn't delay their departure for much longer. On the other hand, the boy was still alive and smiling which meant he had a chance at forgiveness for his 'stupidity'.

Looking back down at the couple, a menacing growl escaped his lips.

'How dare he! And how dare she let him!'

Right before his eyes he witnessed another boy kiss Kagome. Who cares if it was on her cheek. No one had the right to kiss her, and especially not some human from her time he couldn't beat the shit out of. His anger had picked as Hojo also gave her a quick hug to top it off.

Inuyasha's nails dug deep into the branch he was sitting on. Not being able to take the abuse of his sharp nails and the weight of its abuser, the branch only gave a cracking noise and slight shake as a two second warning before it gave way. Both hanyo and branch came crashing down.

o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o

Two set of eyes went in the direction of the well house as the loud noise reached their ears.

"What was that?" One asked.

Having a pretty good idea at what, or rather who it was, Kagome shrugged it off by saying it was most likely an old dead branch that finally fell because of some reckless squirl. She waved good bye at her friend and thanked him for coming over. Hojo waved back at her, a content smile on his face and disappeared down the shrine stairs.

Kagome sighed, relieved to get her bag back in one piece. She receded back to the house to finish packing. This time she made sure to keep her back somehow connected to one of her limbs. This way Inuyasha couldn't just snatch the bag and run again.

o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o

It was approaching late evening by the time she figured she was done, but to her benefit the sun hadn't set yet. She said one last goodbye to her family and made her way out to the well house. She hadn't run into Inuyasha, nor had he tried to stop her from packing heading towards the well house. She wondered where he was and she got her answer when she slid opened the doors leading to the dried well.

There was Inuyasha, sitting with his back to her on the lip of the well. Without any further comments, he rose from his position and walked up to Kagome.

"Inuyasha?" She was utterly confused. What was up with him? She's the one who should be mad at him, not the other way around. Normally he would be the one dragging her back to the feudal time, not her actually wanting to go and him refusing. What was going on?

Said hanyo had his own ideas for now, though. He swiftly seized the bag from the girl and in one leap jumped straight into the well. Kagome was beyond confused and she couldn't even ask what was wrong. He had disappeared so quickly through the well it wasn't even funny.

Not wanting to keep the others waiting any longer, she descended the steps. She sat on the edge of the well, feet dangling in. She wasn't sure she wanted to confront Inuyasha in his present state.

After what seemed like an eternity, she looked down and was greeted by the pink and blue-ish light, revealing an angry looking inu-hanyo. Before she even had time to react to his presence, he leaped to her level, grabbed her by her arms and dragged her back down.

o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o

**Jap vocab:**

**Kariginu**: A wide-sleeved samurai hunting jacket. I read in a story (Fallen Souls by Cassandra) that this is the right turn to use for Inuyasha's top. If there is a problem with the definition of this Japanese word, please do inform me. I am not Japanese and only know as much as I read or hear.

**Gomen nasai:** Forgive me; I'm very sorry.

**A.N.**:

First, I'm truly sorry to those who have been expecting an update two or so weeks after chapter 3 was posted. I have no internet. My network card has been permanently burned. Thus the reason for such lateness in the update. Oh, but at least I got it up.

Anyway, I really like the way this story is moving. I'm already writing up the sixth chapter! All I have to do is find time to write it up on the computer and hopefully I'll have renewed my network card by then!

By the way, thanks for the review! (I got a few by email, so I thought I'd mention it). Next chapter might be up in two or three weeks. But until then, Please **R&R**! It means a lot to get constructive criticisms. And please! cowers away no flames… I dredge the day I shall receive a flame, though I'd probably be laughing my ss off just by reading it...


	5. Chap 5: Friend or Foe

The Devil Within

Disclamer: I own nothing :(

_-_

_Chapter 5: Friend or Foe_

The moment they reached the other side, Inuyasha jumped out of the well dragging a bewildered Kagome with him.

"Hurry up!"

He had only let go when they landed safely near her bag. He let go one of her arms to grad the bag and walked off, pulling her behind him. Using her other hand, Kagome got him to fully release her, but that didn't stop him from growling and yelling at her, warning her not to lag behind.

Inuyasha had made sure to go through the well first. When he had emerged in his time, a new unnerving odor filled his system. Someone had jumped down into the well and he didn't recognize the scent. It wasn't fresh, but it wasn't old either. Whatever it was, it must have tried to follow after him sometime in the morning. He had sat on the edge of the well to take in his surrounding. Deeming it safe enough for Kagome he'd jumped back. Just as he guessed, she looked too stumped by his recent actions to follow him right away.

'The sooner we get to the village, the better.' That was his main concern when he leaped through time. However, now he wasn't so sure he wanted to take the girl there. The closer they got, the fresher and stronger that scent would get.

Reaching the edge of his forest, he took a few minutes to evaluate how safe the surroundings were. None of the houses held any damage and the villagers looked like they normally did. They were going about their business like nothing happened. But he still didn't allow himself to relax: humans were easy to manipulate, far too easy. They could very well be under some sort of spell, or he could be exaggerating things and was simply far too paranoid for his own good.

Kagome reached his side, but unlike him she didn't stop. She kept her pace, ignoring Inuyasha's tense pose and steady gaze. She didn't go far, though.

He caught her by her upper arm and pulled her back. She stumbled a couple of steps, coming to a stop slightly behind him. Even though he knew she was out of harm's way, he kept his strong grip on the girl.

Kagome tried to pull free yet again, but that only served to tighten his grip, his nails easily cutting through her sleeves and digging into her skin.

"Inuyasha!" Now she was getting worried and a little agitated; he could easily smell the change in her attitude. "Inuyasha, let me go!"

In response, said hanyo growled deep and low, menacingly, silently telling her to remain quiet. It didn't help cool his temper when a gust of wind brought a fresh trail of that scent to his nose. He knew exactly where it was coming from now.

Kaede's hut.

A few people were also gathered there. They would stay for a while, then leave and a few more would replace them. Some would remain, when others would lose interest. Eventually, his sight to the hut's entrance and only window was blocked by a bunch of young women and a very few young men. Whoever it was, he or she definitely caught the villagers' attention.

"What the hell is going on?"

He wasn't talking to anyone in particular and he was more or less ignoring the young miko struggling to get his hand off her.

He couldn't exactly wait there until whomever it was to come out. He just had to go and find out on his own who this intruder was. Inuyasha took slow measured steps away from his forest, unconsciously dragging Kagome behind himself. Every five or so steps, he would stop and sniff the air, looking for any signs of threat. What he did sense was the distress in the girl behind him. As they approached the edge of the village, that distress was replaced by annoyance and something similar to anger.

None of that fazed him, though. His full concentration was on the new scent.

He was about to take another step when the gathered humans moved aside, making some sort of pathway. An orange furry fuzz ball came running out from between the villagers' legs far before they cleared out, and it was coming straight for them.

"KAGOME!"

Immediately, the kit jumped into the young girl's one outstretched arm.

"Kagome-sama, Inuyasha. You're back just in time."

Both half-demon and miko turned their head towards the owner of the voice, knowing their friends would be standing there.

Inuyasha quickly tensed, now able to put a physical image to the smell.

-

* * *

- 

Tall, handsome, sophisticated, well-mannered… Kagome couldn't remember the last time she actually thought of all these characteristics for a guy at the same time. She definitely understood why most young women were gathered by the Kaede's hut.

The stranger walked around Miroku and Sango, making his way towards Inuyasha and herself. "Good evening." He bowed low and long.

Kagome marveled at his good manners and good looks, but Inuyasha was another story all together.

"Who the hell are you?" He growled out, tightening his hold on the miko's arm.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome could not take this anymore. She hit him across his chest to get his attention. "Be nice!" Inuyasha's growl wasn't what she was expecting.

'What's wrong with him?' she thought, before putting all her strength in her free hand to pray his fingers off her. "Inuyasha! Let me go!"

On the contrary, he tightened his grip to the point were she was starting to lose feeling in her right arm. She couldn't exactly sit him; with such strong grip she was afraid he might not let go in time and instead drag her down along with him.

Shippo, long forgotten in his position on Kagome's shoulder understood most of what Inuyasha was doing. He was demanding submission and obedience from the female. What he didn't understand was why.

"Do not be alarmed hanyo." Apparently Shippo wasn't the only one who comprehended the half-demon's tactics. "I'm not here to take what is yours. I was simply passing by."

"Then tell me what you were doing in the well."

That definitely caught everyone's attention. Kagome stopped squirming, Shippo held on tighter to his surrogate mother, Sango and Miroku took a step back and all eyes turned to the visitor.

However, the visitor didn't let that faze him one bit. Keeping the same smile and not wavering one bit, he answered. "I saw you jump in and was merely curious to know what one could be doing down a well."

The monk and the demon slayer relaxed their stands as he continued.

"I was not expecting an empty, dried out well. I am curious to know as to where you went."

"Keh! That's none of your damn business."

Before anyone could comment anymore, lady Kaede stood in between Inuyasha and the stranger. "Come now Inuyasha. Ye wouldn't want to make a scene." She motioned the people around to disperse and go about their business. "There is nothing to see. Now," she turned her attention to her hut and started walking. "Shall we continue this inside?"

The new demon gestured politely for the old miko to take lead while he followed close behind. Sango, along with Miroku and Kirara, took up the rear.

Kagome had stopped struggling long ago, confused at Inuyasha's attitude and curious to find out who this new guy was. She felt his grip lighten, but he never let go. She was pulled closer to him and he slightly bent down to whisper for her ears only.

"Stay close. I don't trust this creep."

Kagome didn't have much time to formulate a question with how quick he was walking towards the hut, pulling her along.

-

* * *

- 

It was obvious and he wasn't trying to hide it either: Inuyasha didn't like this new guy. It isn't his short cut, spiky-banked hair; it wasn't his orangish-red eyes or his fangless teeth; it wasn't the diagonally placed half-moon on his forehead; it wasn't his unusually long pointed ears on the side of his head; nor was it the strange layered kimono he was wearing. The other's blunt nails or cheap looking sandals at his feet didn't bother him one bit.

No, there was nothing physical about him that got on Inuyasha's nerves. It was the demon's attitude.

Pure demons always ridiculed half-breeds, calling them undeserving or filthy. Even Shippo bugged him at first, but now the kit knows his place. As for Kirara: she's lived and fought along side humans for so long, she had no right to mock his human blood

This demon however, this Zanite as he called himself, he had every right by demon law to mistreat the hanyo's being.

The thing that bothered Inuyasha the most about the new guy was the respectful attitude towards him.

As though reading his mind, Zanite spoke up, "Please Inuyasha-sama. I have told you once I'm not here to take your place or your possessions."

Inuyasha simply narrowed his eyes at the other youkai.

"Will you please calm down? I have not come here to argue, or to fight."

Kagome tugged on Inuyasha's sleeve, annoyed confusion visible on her face. "What's wrong with you? Anyone would be curious about the well and he's been kind and patient enough to say please."

He wasn't about to take this from a girl. "Keh!" His instincts told him to be on guard and his guts were usually right about things like this. He really couldn't do much though. They were four humans and two demons against his intuition, and Kagome would sit him the moment he got too close to breaking the other's neck.

For now, he'd rather talk then be sat. "So why are you here?"

"I heard of the Shikon no Tama being brought back and shattered. I am merely collecting the broken pieces."

Immediately, Inuyasha was his feet, right hand on the hilt of his sword. "What!"

Zanite quickly put up his hand in a placating gesture. "Oh! No, no! Do not take this the wrong way!"

Kagome had also gotten up, placing a reassuring hand on Inuyasha's tense arm. But not once did she remove her eyes from the strange demon as he continued.

"I heard rumors that the miko guarding the shards lived here. And so, I passed by, hoping to give her these…" He dug his hand in his outfit. Bringing it out from the hidden depths of his shirt, he opened his fist for all to see.

On his palm were five shards. Everyone gasped and Kagome took an uneasy step back. But, "Those can't be Shikon shards." She captured everyone's attention. "They can't be because I don't sense anything."

Zanite smiled, making both hanyo and miko tense more than necessary. He closed his eyes and waved his free hand over the jewel shards. A colorful sphere surrounded his hand as he chanted a few words in some foreign language. Within seconds, the orb like shield dispersed.

The shards' aura hit Kagome like a ton of bricks. Her eyes open wide, she gripped Inuyasha's kariginu and gasped.

Zanite was the first to break the silence. "I know if these were to fall in the wrong hands they could cause great chaos. That is why I placed a concealing protection barrier." Looking back at the miko's flabbergasting visage, he smiled. "I am pleased to know it was strong enough to escape even your detection, young miko."

With a bow, he stood up and approached the shock stricken pair before him. Inuyasha got into defense pose, while Kagome took half a step back. Zanite stretched out his shard holing hand to Kagome. "I believe these are yours."

Before she could react, Inuyasha took a step forward, standing between her and the demon. He snatched the Shikon shards form his opponent, but didn't budge from his spot. This guy knew how to put up barriers that block out auras. He definitely couldn't be trusted.

"Now that you've given us the shards you can leave." He stated as politely as he could. "Go back to wherever the hell you came from."

"Inuyasha," Miroku had to interfere. He realized that Zanite had kept the shards hidden from them till now, but he couldn't let a possible good ally go just because Inuyasha didn't like him. "Perhaps we could show him some hospitality towards his kindness. He is giving us his shards after all."

"I would appreciate a place to stay for the night." Zanite quickly cut in.

Kaede playing the part of the kind miko, then offered, "If it's to your liking, ye can stay here."

"No!" Inuyasha growled out. "He can find himself a place to sleep elsewhere."

"Inuyasha, Osuwari."

Kagome's patience had run thin again. What was wrong with him, she couldn't tell and right now she was too tired to think straight.

Kaede was also running out of patience at the hanyo's tactics. "If ye are not pleased Inuyasha, _ye_ can sleep outside. This is my home; therefore it is up to me to offer a place to whomever I wish." She looked the half-demon straight in the eyes, daring him to say otherwise.

"Keh. I ain't going anywhere, not while he's still around."

"Do not worry much," Zanite interfered. "I shall leave at day break if it's alright with you Kaede-sama."

Kaede of course couldn't refuse. Once the sleeping arrangements where finished, all four humans along with the kitsune and the neko-youkai quickly fell asleep. Zanite also appeared to be sleeping. However, Inuyasha refused to sleep. He'd stay awake all night if he had to.

Unfortunately for him, he couldn't keep his eyes open for long. His eye lids felt incredibly heavy and dream land seemed to have a strong grip on him. He couldn't explain it and his mind was too foggy for him to make out much. His vision blurred and he knew no more.

-

* * *

- 

He didn't know when it happened, but the hanyo had finally fallen at the hands of slumber. The demon was resilient. Maybe it was because he was incredibly stubborn. Either way the spell had taken it's affects upon Inuyasha.

The enchantment he used affects all surrounding the spell caster, including himself, but it's a small price to pay. Demons and humans would quickly succumb to the spell. He however, had nothing to worry about for his kin were immune to most magic.

Zanite had eventually gotten up once positive everyone was sound asleep. Now was his time. He took out the orb from its pouch and peered into its depth, awaiting his next set of orders.

-

* * *

- 

Groggy.

Everything was groggy. His head was spinning, or was it just him? His muscles were stiff and a tingly sensation crawled all over his skin.

He felt so horribly tired. He's never been this worn out of shape or fatigued before. So why now?

'Did I get knocked out in a fight? Was I badly injured?' He kept inquiring himself. 'No… That can't be right. I don't remember fighting anything.'

_Inuyasha…_

A voice.

Someone was calling him from within the darkness surrounding him. But it was so distant and barely above a whisper. It was a wonder how he even caught it, whatever that was, and he didn't let it go. No, he wouldn't let go. He didn't know why, but it was important for him to hold on and not let go.

_Inuyasha._

"Who… Who are you? Where are you?"

_You must wake Inuyasha._

A woman's voice. That much he figured out, but he didn't recognize it. "Who are you?" he asked again.

_You must wake!_

"Why? What for?"

_For the sake of your friends. _The voice insisted once more, _you must wake and refrain from sleeping. Please! You must wake!_ Her voice was strong and urgent, demanding him not to argue and do as she says.

Inuyasha felt the need to listen and comply. It didn't matter he had no clue as to whom she might be. The fact is she's right. If he was indeed sleeping, he had to wake up. And the woman said something about his friends. So it was important for him to see them alive and well.

_Hurry and wake Inuyasha, before it's too late…_

The dark that surrounded him didn't seem endless anymore. A speck of light shone before him. At first so small it was insignificant. But the dot grew. It expanded and increased in size.

_Inuyasha…_

Again a voice. However, he knew the owner this time. It was her; it was Kagome.

_Inuyasha._

Her voice was a whisper, but to him it didn't matter. She sounded frightened. What was going on?

_Inuyasha!_

As the light shone brighter and stronger, her voice became louder and clearer.

_Inuyasha! Wake up!_

Now he was shaking and the light that was still so far away and small grew exponentially in size, engulfing his entire being. His eyes were blinded, his other senses put out of use as well. Pain erupted through his chest and he felt himself lose the battle between this strange world of blinding light and the ever consuming darkness lurking about.

_Inuyasha!_

When he could take it no more he blindly reached out, afraid to lose himself to the unknown.

**_Inuyasha!_**

The pain subsided, the black patch fully disappearing. He dared not open his eyes now closed tight, and he refused to let go of whatever his hands were able to catch. His entire body relaxed.

It seemed like hours before he found the courage to open his eyes. He considered that the biggest mistake of his unconscious life! The light was too strong for him to see and before he knew it, he was falling into the blinding abyss.

-

* * *

- 

Kagome was filled with panic. She didn't know what to do anymore.

They all woke up hours ago. After breakfast was prepared, it took practically forever to wake both Shippo and Kirara. They looked extremely tired and weak, but at least they were awake.

Inuyasha on the other hand hadn't woken up at all. He was in some weird deep slumber. Kagome even sat him, thinking that with his body slamming into the ground, he just had to wake. However, he looked much deader to the world then before.

She tried all she knew, from shaking and hitting him to yelling and crying. She knew he hated the scent of her tears, but when that didn't work, she turned to her friends.

Shippo bit him and kicked him; he used fox fire and yelled in Inuyasha's ears. But that didn't work.

Kirara took him for a ride on her back thinking a bit of fresh air might work; Inuyasha slept on.

Kaede tried some magic; it had no effect what-so-ever.

Miroku bopped him on the head with his staff, a tad of his spiritual powers backing him up. When that didn't work he yelled in his most urgent of voices that Naraku was attacking the village; Inuyasha didn't budge.

Sango gathered some herbs, mixed them together and set it ablaze. Everyone in the hut ran out even though they were wearing masks. After a while, they walked in, bracing themselves for a good yelling. However, the half-dog-demon hadn't even flinched.

Zanite made a potion and with the help of the others, fed it to the sleeping hanyo; it didn't wake him, but his ears twitched as though searching for sound.

"Inuyasha?"

Kagome held her breath, hoping they finally got through to him. Still it was of no use. His ears stopped their movement and once more Inuyasha lay motionless. She couldn't take it anymore.

What happened?

Why wasn't he waking up?

Her tears flowed freely down her cheeks.

"Inuyasha…" It was but a low whisper meant for the inu-hanyo's ears alone. She was sat by his side, watching him intently. She altered between looking at his chest rise and fall with each breath, and his face for any signs of waking up.

Staring at his chest once more, her eyes widened in panic: seconds had passed and his torso hadn't risen like it normally should.

"Inuyasha!" Dread and pure fright overtook all her senses and blocked everything else out.

"Inuyasha! Wake up!"

Her throat was dry, it hurt to talk, but it couldn't be helped. She had to get threw to him. Oblivious to her surrounding, her tears flooded her eyes again. In desperation for some sort of response, she grabbed the front of his white kimono and started shaking him with all her might.

"Inuyasha!"

His name was the only word available to her as she kept crying and shaking, hoping for some kind of reaction. And a reaction is exactly what she got! To everyone's surprise, Inuyasha reached out with both hands and caught Kagome's arms.

Shell shocked, she gasped, "Inuyasha!"

Not once did his grip loosen. On the contrary, it tightened to the point of drawing blood. Kagome didn't care though, for she held on to him and wasn't about to let go.

She waited and waited, pushing her pain aside. Each second seemed like an eternity and she dared not move. His nails seem to dig further in, causing her to hiss. She shut her eyes and held on even tighter than she thought possible.

She felt the muscles in her chest constrict and a sharp pain fill her entire being. Her eyes snapped open just as Inuyasha gasped for air. In one fluid motion he sat up, his hands tightened their hold on whatever they had gripped.

Inuyasha had nothing but spots in his vision, effectively blocking his sight. Although his vision was rendered useless at the present time, his nose could not be fooled. He slowed his ragged breathing, his hold relaxing. With his senses slightly out of commission, he quietly sniffed the air. The familiar coppery scent filled his nostrils. He immediately recognized it and its owner. Growling low and threatening, his vice-like grip tightened more as fear also mingled into her peaceful flowery scent.

"Inuyasha!"

Far in the distant, he heard his friends' voices, all of them sounding panicked. He paid no heed to them, though. Instead he concentrated on getting his vision back. He had to find her. And what the hell was he holding on to anyway?

A liquid goo ran down his fingers. He closed his eyes and shook his head, wanting to get rid of the heavy fog covering his senses. His ears picked up her unsteady breathing as well as her delicate whispered demand by simply saying his name. She sounded so close, but that wasn't right. Not unless…

His eyes snapped open, his sight no longer dazed, the fog no longer visible. In his view was the girl he was looking for. Her pierced sleeves were bloody as the hot fluid slid down, covering more of the white shirt. The torn area covered his drenched fingers.

His eyes opened wide in horror. So desperate was he to let go, to remove his hands, to undo what has been done. But knowing, _feeling_ how deep his nails were dug within her, he was afraid of causing more pain with the slightest of movements. He completely froze.

Kagome also couldn't move, she too afraid of the scorching pain she knew would travel through her arms. However, that didn't stop her from keeping a firm grip on his inner kimono. No matter how much it hurt, she couldn't bring herself to let him go. She'd tighten her own hold to the point where her knuckles turned white.

"Inu-ya-sha…" She couldn't even formulate a proper word, her dry throat preventing normal speech.

That one word was enough, though. Inuyasha recovered from his momentary shock, immediately releasing her. "Kagome!"

The girl in question slumped forward and his arms automatically reached around her. Still holding on, her forehead resting on his chest, Kagome allowed herself to relax. She gasped heavily and trembled a little, but she knew she was safe, held in _his_ arms, _his_ weight supporting hers.

The hut was quiet and she was grateful. The tension in her muscles eased out of her, her grip loosening as time went by.

Inuyasha, on the other hand, didn't loosen up, not one bit. He held Kagome as close as he could, trying not to hurt her anymore than he already has. Only an insignificant fraction of tension vanished when her fingers slowing eased out of their death grip. Her breathing had evened and she stopped trembling.

It took a while, but Kagome eventually moved her head and she looked at him through her bangs. In response, he looked down at her, his eyes filled with regret and worry, asking her forgiveness.

Kagome smiled. It wasn't her usual I'm-so-full-of-life smile, but still a genuine smile. "Inuyasha." Her voice was but a soft blown whisper. His ears, however, as well as all other possible senses were trained on her. Her features saddened when she continued. "You scared us… When you wouldn't wake up… Don't ever do that again!" She ended her statement with a scold.

Inuyasha could only shake his head up and down. He had hurt her, but she didn't seem to care as she was scolding him for oversleeping.

For a long time they just sat there, unmoving and not saying a word. He knew she was still bleeding, but he was at a lost for both words and action. Kagome, on her part either didn't notice or simply ignored the pain and the blood. Their moment however, was cut short.

"Inuyasha-sama," Zanite spoke first. "Perhaps it would be wise to let someone attend to Kagome-sama's wounds?"

Both the hanyo's and the miko's cheeks flushed a lovely shade of pink. Sango and Miroku had approached the pair wanting to help. Inuyasha put his hands on Kagome's shoulders and started to push her back and into Sango's care. Kagome wouldn't have it.

She bunched up the inu-hanyo's kimono once more in her grasp. Her eyes shut tight and a hiss escaped her lips as her own sudden movement caused a burning sensation to run up her arms.

Panicked, Inuyasha sat rigid and brought his hands up in the air in a surrender type gesture. Zanite jumped into action, his nails growing in length. He reached out a finger and lightly pressed into the back of Kagome's neck. Her eyes widened at the surprise pinch, but almost immediately slumped forward, unconscious onto Inuyasha.

Still in his panicked state, the half-demon caught the girl with ease, his arms going around her protectively. He stared at Zanite wide-eyed and alert.

"What'd you do to her?" It came out more as a growl than disbelieve, and his shock slowly edged towards anger. But he wasn't the only one in that state. Kaede had backed a little, distancing herself from the possible threat. Miroku and Sango had taken up a slightly defensive pose beside the hanyo and their injured friend. Shippo was too scared to think straight and Kirara stood before the intruder, ready to charge if need be.

Zanite took in all their reaction and slowly took a step back. 'I shouldn't have done that,' he loosely thought. Then he attempted an explanation. "I haven't harmed her." He placed both hands before himself in a placating gesture. "She is simply asleep. She feels no more pain. At least not until she awakens." Everyone relaxed, their gaze turning towards the lump that is Kagome.

Inuyasha however, wasn't included in that group of 'everyone'. He had remained tense, if not tenser, and not once did he remove his eyes from the other demon.

"She will wake, Inuyasha-sama. Know that I would never hurt Kagome-sama in any way." Seeing the half-demon's skeptical look, Zanite urged on. "I will even swear it upon my father's head."

Inuyasha did not loosen up. He refused to relax while that creature was anywhere within sight, sound or smelling distance.

Zanite sighed in defeat and made to stand. "With your permission, I shall take my leave." Sango looked up from Kagome's arm and Miroku from the medical pack. Zanite was already at the entrance and glanced one last time at the strange group of friends. He knew he made a mistake and he had to fix it. But not right now. For now he had to leave.

"Goodbye." He bowed once and left.

-

* * *

- 

**Jap vocab:**

**Kariginu**: A wide-sleeved samurai hunting jacket. I read in a story (Fallen Souls by Cassandra) that this is the right turm to use for Inuyasha's top. If there is a problem with the definition of this Japanese word, please do inform me. I am not Japanese and only know as much as I read or hear.

**A.N.**:

Well, I had this chapter written down a long while ago and I figured it wouldn't hurt to post it. So here it is. Wow… The longest chapter yet. It took me a while to type it too, but I did it. I hope it's not too sappy or to long or too boring and please, do give me feedback.

Thank you to those who have taken the time to read and review. C-ya!


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